


Back Again

by Kiaspiri



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Alpha Timeline (Homestuck), F/F, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-10
Updated: 2019-04-12
Packaged: 2020-01-11 05:21:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,666
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18423699
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kiaspiri/pseuds/Kiaspiri
Summary: "Dave would wonder later where his powers went wrong because they had always been doomed. "alpha timeline, not rose/dave!





	1. prologue

Rose Lalonde had been born in a forest in Washington, well not born so much as delivered, she knew this. In another world perhaps she would have seen it, but not within this permutation, something she also knew. 

Rose was born knowing who she was, knowing the intricacies and peculiarities of her own personality, knowing what and who she loved. She knew her life, her death and what would come after and she knew that, no matter how much she wished it, Rose would and could not change any of it, her future would always lie in the most fortuitous path, she would ever know it, and it was against her nature to sacrifice victory for her personal druthers. 

Dave Strider, on the other hand, did not know himself the second he was born, he was delivered knowing his name, three others, and that he was not doomed. He assumed that bunches of other Daves had been delivered with the knowledge that they were, but those assholes weren’t around long enough to really matter. 

Dave would wonder later where his powers went wrong because they had always been doomed. 


	2. Chapter 1

Rose was found by a hiker, little more than a few days old, she knew his name was John, she had seen him merely hours ago, at her creation. He was old, hair greying on the sides prematurely, but beyond that, if not for her knowledge she would not have recognized him, his mouth set tight, binding his natural protruding teeth and his eyes free from glasses yet burdened by heavy bags. She knew that the Condesce had no issue curing eyesight. 

John left her at the nearest police station  
“I found her in the woods, don’t know where her parents are.” he murmured turning to leave against the questions of the officers. He stopped though and turned to Rose “take care of her please.” John was gone in the next second. 

Rose knew that this would be his last mission on the behest of the Seawitch, him finding and leaving her would be the final spark fueling his abandonment of his mother. However happy she could say she was about his freedom, she was equally disappointed, if he had decided later he would have also brought her brother to safety. And perhaps if he had decided earlier, he would not have left her here alone. 

 

John Crocker had already returned home, shaken by his abandonment of one his closest friends, ran away, and became intent on living on the streets peddling japery for shelter, by the time that Dave Strider arrived. Dave was found by a pair of runaways, who at this point knew that japery wasn’t enough to survive on the streets if you didn’t have the backstage support of a multi-million dollar organization. 

“…is that a baby crawling toward us?” a young woman asked, her parents had thrown her out about a year ago, and she didn’t miss a thing about them, the bed and refrigerator on the other hand…

“leave it Buddy.” her companion insisted. 

“Now Big Guy we may be criminals however we are not monsters ” she leaned down toward Dave and picked him up ”now what is your name?” 

“Dahv..” he gurgled

“odd” she responded to the child and then turned to her hulking companion, “well we should head back to the lighthouse, and bring Dav here with us.”

“I think a police station would be more appropriate” he intoned

“Darling do you really want to chance it, and furthermore I have the strangest feeling that with us is where he’s meant to be.”

The figure in the tan jacket sighed and begin to protest, and Buddy cut him off ” and to be quite honest with yourself are you not the tiniest bit curious about young Clark Kent here.” she turned to leave. 

“Buddy…” he tried once more. 

“come along don’t be such a spoilsport” she teased not breaking her pace. He followed, resigned to his new charge. 

 

Rose was never adopted. She spent her formative years being ferried from foster home to group home as she was judged too old, severe, or unsettling to be brought into a family. Ultimately, however, this never bothered her, she had a family already, and he was would to arrive in new york later this day, almost 30 minutes after she herself was due to arrive. 

She would be escaping in the night after the second checking of her bedroom, she would have around seven hours till they would notice that Rose was gone and by then she would already be in New York with a ticket bought through a fake name. This, of course, all assuming that she was able to convince her roommate not to effectively rat her out. 

"Vespa, I have a request of you."

Rose's roommate had thin green hair and almost black eyes, two traits which endeared her to Rose. 

"...uh sure I guess?" she said nervously, an unprepared look overtaking her face.

"tonight I am planning to egress, and I was hoping that you would be willing to conveniently not check if the lump under the covers is myself tomorrow morning. " Rose smiled at her. 

"where?... I mean where are you planning on going?" she asked eyes widening. 

"New York" She answered, "my brother is planning on meeting me there, well not planning, but he will."

"I don't know... do you? ...I mean... I guess I'll do it" Vespa sighed standing "do you have a phone?"

Rose nodded, and Vespa held her hand out. Rose placed her phone in her hand. "I'm uh... I'm giving you my number. Just call me please if you're not okay, or just like to... I don't know to check in I guess? But either way call, I can't guarantee that I won't tell Ms. King if you are actually in trouble but... if you want me to do this for you, this is the deal."

Rose was almost taken aback, but she nodded thanking her. At some point, she does not quite know when she had forgotten why victory was really as important as everything she knew they were giving up for it. However she knew when Vespa would die, she knew that it would be on order of the Batterwitch and for the first time in her life she thought that maybe dying trying to prevent her ascent to power might be worth it. 

 

Dave was leaving the lighthouse for the very first time today, I mean he had left before, they weren't keeping him locked up in the attic or anything like that, though like where the fuck would an attic be in a lighthouse, would it be in the big ass light bulb and then would being locked up there okay or would you like burn up to a crisp, like would it be like, young man go to your room! Wtf dad I was just out for like an extra hour do I really have to? And then like he'd say 'that's just what parents say to kids' then the kid would just fuckin die. But would that even look like as a cor...

As an executive decision, we're not going to tune in on Dave's thoughts for that long anymore. 

"Dave? Could you come down here for a bit before you leave, we want to see you off!" Buddy called from downstairs, the time had clearly past on her face, not only weathering it with lines and a few faint scars but with a simple eye patch, a memento of a deal gone wrong. 

Dave trudged down the stairs his steps light with knowledge that she never taught him. She smiled, she would miss him, but he was ready, and he was getting to the age where he would have to begin working in the business if Dave wanted to stay and start earning his keep and there was something that told her he wouldn't have the stomach for it. 

"Hey, ya'll I guess this is it huh? He said nonchalantly, Buddy smirked 

"Yes I would say this is quote-unquote it. " she continued "well good luck in the big city, I don't want to get any calls from you, though more so, you should try not to die and have to call us. "

"Feeling the love Buddy. He returned. 

"Dave, take care of yourself please." Her companion said appearing behind her. 

"speaking of that" she cut over Dave "I brought a tiny going away present," and Buddy brought out a long flat box from a nearby drawer. He took it with steady hands, removing the paper quickly, punctuated by the clatter of his new sword on the floor of the building they were squatting in. 

Dave brought himself back to reality after seeing that bright glint of metal and responsibility for a second, he exhaled and leaned down to pick it back up. He knew it would be coming soon, something that would remind him of what would happen in the future. Paradox space had given him a long break, though his childhood was filled with its own forms of shit, it was all distinctly non-sburby shit. He had almost for a second let himself live apart from some fucked up fate or destiny, but no wonder the second he was about to leave it would be right out there ready to grab him again. 

"thanks, Buddy this is pretty great of you" He finally thanked her for her gift. "And Big Guy I promise I'll try, though It might be easier to call you if I knew your name."

"we are still not there yet," he said

"Oh! I'll see you later time because you seem to be running the fuck out."

"I will see you again. I am sure of this."

"kay then, see ya later" Dave turned to Buddy, "and I will see you too I would guess then? anyways bye, take care of yourself."

"Bye Dave," she said as she watched him leave.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cookie points to whoever can figure out where I stole my ensemble cast from.


End file.
